St. Adrian of Canterbury

Saint Adrian of Canterbury

Abbot & Confessor

Adrian was a North African, born in the mid-seventh century. He was serving as an abbot near Naples in Italy when Pope St. Vitalian tried to appoint him to succeed the late St. Deusdedit as archbishop of Canterbury, in England. Adrian, a humble man, refused the appointment, and suggested his friend St. Theodore of Tarsus. Vitalian accepted the suggestion, but insisted that Adrian accompany the new archbishop as an advisor and travelling companion, to which the holy abbot readily assented. Adrian was stopped and held captive in France by a high official who suspected him of being a spy for the Eastern Roman Emperor, but eventually he was released, and he finally rejoined Archbishop Theodore in Canterbury. Theodore appointed Adrian abbot of the local monastery of Ss. Peter & Paul, later known as St. Augustine’s. There, the holy abbot taught multiple subjects, helping form numerous saints in both knowledge and holiness, until his death almost forty years later in the year of Our Lord 709 or 710. Many miracles occurred at his tomb. The abbey was sadly lost during the infamous dissolution of the monasteries by King Henry VIII.

Traditional Roman Martyrology for January 9th

AT Antioch, in the reign of Diocletian and Maximian, the birthday of the Saints Julian, martyr, and Basilissa, his virgin wife. Having lived in a state of virginity with her husband, she reached the end of her days in peace. But after the death by fire of a multitude of priests and ministers of the Church of Christ, who had taken refuge in his house from the severity of the persecution, Julian was ordered by the president Marcian to be tormented in many ways and executed. With him suffered Anthony, a priest, and Anastasius, whom Julian raised from the dead, and made partaker of the grace of Christ; also, Celsus, a boy, with his mother Marcionilla, seven brothers, and many others.

In Mauritania Caesariensis (now Algeria), St. Marciana, virgin, who consummated her martyrdom by being condemned to the beasts.

At Smyrna, the holy martyrs Vitalis, Revocatus, and Fortunatus.

In Africa, the holy martyrs Epictetus, Jucundus, Secundus, Vitalis, Felix, and seven others.

At Sebaste, in Armenia, St. Peter, bishop, brother of St. Basil the Great.

At Ancona, St. Marcellinus, bishop, who, according to St. Gregory, miraculously delivered that city from destruction by fire.

℣. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.

℟. Thanks be to God.